Bug bites anyone? New fish food

[JGotti]

This food isn't exactly new, it's been on the market for over a year. I started feed trials with it last year. Probably just took a while to reach parts of the USA. Someone PM's me about this food yesterday, so I'll add on here for anyone else interested.

Pros

1. all species of fish readily eat it, except one, my adult midas. He prefers anything but, the bugs. I would expect most polys to eat it without too much issue. I suspect the high fat level adds to the taste/smell.

2. A sustainable & novel form of protein is used.

Cons

1. Protein is not just from fly larvae, they also include some form of salmon, fish protein concentrate, and peas. I would have preferred to not see terrestrial plant matter (peas) being utilized as protein (might as well be soybeans), or fish protein concentrate, and would have preferred to see a LOT more fly larvae meal.

2. It's a high energy food with a minimum of 12.5% crude fat, which means the average fat level, or typical analysis, would be closer to 15%. IMO that's far too high for most tropical fish to consume as a daily staple. Especially species of fish that don't expend a lot of energy in an aquarium.

2. No aquatic plant matter. None. No spirulina, no kelp, no form of algae or seaweed. Even fish classified as strict carnivores in nature typically consume some aquatic plant matter via the guts of their prey. I personally like to see aquatic plant matter in all formulas of fish food. The lack of this is a big negative in my book.

3. Potato - why? If the company was more specific one would know, but without further details it could be used as another terrestrial based protein (potato protein concentrate) or as a binding agent (potato starch). Who knows? Either way, no thanks to feeding potatoes to carnivores - the wheat in this formula should suffice as a binding agent.

If combined (peas/potato/wheat) the inclusion rate of terrestrial based plant matter in this formula might be alarming.


BTW - I would not count on EQ levels being low just because insect larvae meal is used as one of the main protein sources. The company might share that info with you, or not? Probably not, as most manufacturers probably don't test their final formulations as there is no requirement to do so.

Due to the higher protein, and high fat levels, this formula would probably work well as a conditioning food for fish getting ready to spawn, but due to the reasons listed above I would not feed as a daily staple, to polys, or anything else.

Just my Canadian 2 cents worth .....

Do you know any othere fish food that uses insects as their main ingredient ?

 

[RD.]

no

 

[isde02]

New fish food available..... made with insects. Interesting product, I ordered a bag of the cichlid formula from Amazon to try out. Im not switch over anytime soon but I thought worth a try and will mix it in with my other foods.

https://ca-en.hagen.com/BUGBITES

I've been wondering for the longest why no one has come out with this when a lot of the fish we keep are insectivorous especially at smaller sizes.

 

[RD.]

Due to regulations, for one. You can't just toss anything into pet food (or food destined for human consumption) Canada & the USA now have approval for use of insect feed for farm fish destined for human consumption, which will open the door for more pet food manufacturers to get on board with this more novel form of protein. You can read more about that in this past thread.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...approval-for-insect-meal-in-farm-fish.684540/

And as you can see by my previous comment, this type of food is still going to be utilized in farm feed, which in todays market equates to how can we do things cheaper. Not how can we make this food better, for the fish. The real push behind insect meal is it's a very sustainable source of protein. It's a bonus for manufacturers that are looking to save costs on their raw ingredients, primarily protein.

 

[DMD123]

Ive used up my bag of floating cichlid and sinking pleco sticks and am amazed at the high acceptability of this food. I am not saying this is the world best food just saying Ive tried a lot of foods that got the taste and spit out and the fish did not like it. This stuff they took a like to immediately. I do have some other foods to use up but I will likely buy some of this again in the future.

 

[RD.]

Yes, that was my experience as well, and posted as #1 under pros. As previously stated, most likely due to the high fat content. But that doesn't make it a quality feed, only a food that most fish will find palatable.

 

[isde02]

Due to regulations, for one. You can't just toss anything into pet food (or food destined for human consumption) Canada & the USA now have approval for use of insect feed for farm fish destined for human consumption, which will open the door for more pet food manufacturers to get on board with this more novel form of protein. You can read more about that in this past thread.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...approval-for-insect-meal-in-farm-fish.684540/

And as you can see by my previous comment, this type of food is still going to be utilized in farm feed, which in todays market equates to how can we do things cheaper. Not how can we make this food better, for the fish. The real push behind insect meal is it's a very sustainable source of protein. It's a bonus for manufacturers that are looking to save costs on their raw ingredients, primarily protein.

Thanks for that Rd

 

[isde02]

Yes, that was my experience as well, and posted as #1 under pros. As previously stated, most likely due to the high fat content. But that doesn't make it a quality feed, only a food that most fish will find palatable.

What is the Marigold extract thats listed in the ingredients list for?

 

[RD.]

Color enhancer, primarily the color yellow. Lots of companies use it, but it may or may not be listed on the ingredients list using the same wording.

 

[JGotti]

I wish they would cut all the unhealthy bs out and added more bugs in it even if they would go up on the price a Lil bit I would pay for it